Student Services Spotlight: Counseling

Release Date
Young person sitting on couch, listening to a counselor

This article is part of a series highlighting our Student Services offices and what they can do for you. For information about all HFC student services, please visit the Student Services section of our website.

The HFC Counseling Office team, in Room A-117 on the first floor of the Learning Success Center (LSC) (Building A on the main campus), focuses on personal wellness and career development needs that you may encounter during your educational journey

The office is staffed with counselors (meet the team) who can help you create a career development plan or deal with personal issues that may arise during your time as a student.

Career decision assistance

HFC students have free access to FOCUS 2, an online career planning tool designed to help you make confident decisions about your future. Through brief, guided assessments, FOCUS 2 identifies your interests, strengths, values, and preferred work environment, then connects those results to matching career options. You can explore occupations, review salary expectations, and learn the education needed for each pathway at your own pace. After completing the career assessments, we encourage you to meet with a counselor to discuss your career plan.

Personal support

Aside from career guidance, counselors can also help you with mental wellness. What you tell them will be in the strictest confidence. They can help you improve your ability to make healthy decisions, work through emotional difficulties, enhance your relationships with others, and be successful in your personal goals.

"Counselors play a major role in supporting positive mental health and wellness by providing a safe confidential space where students can express their feelings and concerns. We help students understand their emotions and behaviors. We provide strategies to manage stress, anxiety, depression, difficult relationships, grief, loss, adjusting to college, conflict resolutions, and effective time management," said HFC counselor Dr. Gwendolyn Pringle.

Counselors can help you with:

  • Positive self-care
  • Learning how to cope with anxiety
  • Learning interpersonal skills
  • Conflict resolution with faculty, classmates, or family
  • Stress management
  • Test-taking anxiety
  • Addictions
  • Veterans issues
  • Cross-cultural and adjustment issues
  • Other mental health issues

Here to support you

"College is about more than classes – it’s about growth, direction, and well being. HFC Counseling is here to help you navigate challenges, build confidence, and stay focused on your goals. Whether you want to manage stress, talk through a concern, or gain clarity about your future, our counselors provide a supportive and confidential space where you can be heard and understood," said HFC Vice President for Student Affairs Holly Diamond.

Reach out to schedule an appointment with a counselor either in person or virtually. You don't have to figure everything out alone. We’re here to help you move forward with confidence.

All counseling services we provide to students are FREE to you as part of your HFC tuition.

To make a counseling appointment, contact counseling@hfcc.edu.

NOTE: If you are seeking guidance about which specific classes to take, visit Academic Advising, where a specific advisor is assigned to help you. Your advisor will know your program and academic goals.